TWO FRY JOURNEY
by Miss Madam Rhiko
Summary: A HOME FREE STORY THAT STARTED OFF AS A DREAM. I DONT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS EXCEPT THE MEMBERS OF 'THE FRIES'. SOME CHARATER'S NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED. MY OLD ACOUNT IS EOWYNIEL ELESSAR BUT I CAN NO LONGER ACCESS. RATED M FOR FUTURE SAFETY. R&R
1. Chapter 1

Jess and her younger sister Jen had always wanted to start an acapella group. The two girls were coached by Kim Kirkman and had been in both the Australian Youth and Girls Choir. They had been in a band in high school that had broken up when Jess finished school so they were looking to start something new. Jess had been introduced to the acapella world by a friend who loved Pentatonix and knowing that she loved country music, showed her a video of Home Free singing _All About That Bass_.

Instantly loving the group's cover of the song she became engulfed in other songs they had covered. At first Jen didn't like either Pentatonix or Home Free but when Jess made her listen to songs she suggested that they do something similar. No one was doing acapella covers of Australian country music artists and both girls loved Lee Kernaghan; what a perfect opportunity to start another group.

They posted ads around town that they were looking for a bass and baritone, preferably males as well as a beatboxer. One of Jen's friends contacted her with the details of Jeremy, another friend who was a baritone in their community choir and was looking to branch out into something different. The two girls arranged to meet Jeremy and listen to him sing. On meeting him they knew they wanted him to join, he was a tall good looking man who was fun and quirky with a smile that made everyone around him smile. He also had an amazing voice.

After meeting with Jeremy, Jen turned her phone back on to find a voicemail with a man introducing himself and a sample of a rhythm. They called back and asked to meet him at Gloria Jeans that afternoon. When they arrived at the cafe the only man in sight wasn't a man at all. A teenage boy sat at the little three seater table in the corner. He was obviously athletic but still boyish in looks and he was reading a Batman comic when they approached him.

"Are you Logan?" Jess asked as she pulled out a chair and sat down. The boy nodded and the sisters exchanged glances. Jen spoke what they were both thinking, "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"  
"Seventeen, I've been beatboxing for three years now and I have wanted to join an acapella group since I started." He smiled as he answered and Jen smiled in return. They had found a beatboxer and a baritone in one day. Both girls were excited that this adventure was off to a great start.

Jess remembered a guy she used to work with who had amazing range and could hit a G1 but they knew they needed an F#1 to perform some songs. She rang Alex to ask if he could hit the note they needed and he sang while he was on the phone, hitting the low F# with ease. They now had a full acapella group and asked the three men to meet them at their place in Nabiac so that they could discuss things as a group. The two girls being huge fans of Home Free had decided that they wanted their group named The Fries because the fans of Home Free called themselves Home Fries.

When everyone was sitting on the back deck at Jess and Jen's house they pitched their ideas on names and songs to each other. They all agreed on The Fries once Jess showed everyone the videos of Home Free. They also decided to do a mix of Lee Kernaghan as well as Home Free covers. As they sat around they fiddled with the song _Summer In The Country_ and all agreed that it had to one of their songs, after all, they were all young people who loved the country lifestyle.

They had learnt most of the songs from Home Free and ten of their favourite Lee Kernaghan songs when they approached the Nabiac Show Society to organise their first performance. The Fries were planning to record their show to upload to their YouTube channel where they had put some of their rehearsal videos and a video introducing the five of them as a group. They had a small following on YouTube but the best news was that they had been verified by Twitter.

The week before the show was hectic for the group as they finalised their set list and choreography. The day before they were making the final decision on outfits but they had previously agreed on RM boots and jeans.

The day of their first live performance arrived and as usual Jess had been up all night finalising the arrangements for sound and lighting as well as set up. The five of them arrived at the showgrounds that morning and walked around watching the events. An hour before they were set to perform The Fries were backstage going over their set list and choreography when someone called out to Jess.

"Are you guys ready to go on?" Jess turned around to see the organiser walking over to them looking at her watch. She looked flustered and was obviously all over the place with the program. Jen turned to face her and queried their time slot. The band following them had called and cancelled so the fill in session had to play. They were school students and had to be finished earlier so the program had been altered. They agreed to go on an hour earlier and then perform again later that night which Jess and Jen were thrilled about because it gave them exposure to the younger and the older people attending the show.

The day show went off a hit and the group were thrilled that they had people up dancing and singing. Some of their fans on YouTube were filming as well. When Jen was singing _Honey I'm Good_ she dropped her microphone causing one of the speakers to blow because of the feedback. When they had finished Jess stopped the performance and in Tim Foust fashion started a Story Time. She told them of how they all got together and gave a rundown of their plans for the next month. She also told how in rehearsals Jen had dropped her microphone three times while going over that song. She then went on to talk about the group that started their whole journey.

After the night show they all sat around at Jess and Jen's place laughing about the things that had happened in the shows as well as the signing time they'd organised. They now had quite a following on Twitter and more that 1000 views on the videos of their performances that night. When Jess checked her phone she squealed and basically threw it down on the table.

The others gave her strange looks as she continued to squeal and jump around the deck. Jen was the first to catch on and pulled her phone out to check Twitter. Home Free had followed them and retweeted the clip of Story Time from their concert.

The next morning the five of them got notifications from twitter with a message from Tim Foust. Jess was hyperventilating and nearly crying as she read the message from her idol and her celebrity crush.

 _Hey guys. Firstly, y'all sounded amazing at your show. I particularly love the way the two female voices change Rob and Austin's parts in Feelin It. Austin said he loved Jess's voice and thought Jen was cute. Loved your Story Time, was it really us that got you guys started?_

 _I was told by Chris to ask you to upload music videos for your Lee Kernaghan songs as well as your arrangement for She's My Ute. We all loved the country feel you bring to your show and we want to perform some Australian country music for our upcoming shows in Sydney and Melbourne._

 _Also I wanted to know if you guys would be interested in performing some songs with us. We want you at both our live shows and we want to make some music videos while we're out there and we'd love you to sing with us and be in the videos._

 _If you ever need anything, feel free to contact me on twitter or just call on 555-910-467_

 _Cheers Tim_

They all took a deep breath as they realised that after only one show, the group that was their main influence wanted them to perform live and in videos with them. Jess opened a message to reply,

 _Hi Tim, thanks for your message. We had a blast performing your songs and yes you really were the group that got us started. We decided on The Fries as our name because my sister and I are major Home Fries. We're actually working on a video for Beersheba and She's My Ute at the moment. We'll tag you in it on YouTube and send you the links here._

 _We would be honoured to perform with you guys and help with music videos. I was actually going to ask if you would be interested in featuring in our video for Dirt. I will attach the arrangement in the next message as we kind of just sang from the song itself so I'll have to work it all out. Also there is a huge country festival while you guys are over here that we're playing at and if you were interested in going to that we'd love for you to perform with us. Let us know if that's something you want to do, plus your accommodation is sorted while you're here. We've decided you should see the country here instead of just the big city and I've already been in contact with Luke and arranged it all._

 _Thanks Austin... I love your voice. And you made Jen blush. She has a huge crush on you._

 _Feel free to call either Jen on 0459453985 or myself on 0426459552._

 _Thanks Jess_

Jess read the message to the group and hit send. What they weren't expecting was the phone call ten minutes later. Jen answered the phone and put it on speaker straight away.  
"Hey Fries!" Austin yelled into the phone.  
"Hi Austin, what's happening?" Jen said shaking her head as her cheeks turned bright red. They heard Tim tell Austin off for scaring the poor girl.  
"Hi Tim." It was Jess' turn to blush.  
"I want to reiterate what Tim said in the message, you guys were awesome. Your harmony is brilliant. It sounds like you've been performing together for years, not months. Jess, you and Jen are the perfect addition to our arrangements. It almost sounded like Rob and I singing." Austin was now serious. He handed the phone to someone and a familiar deep voice agreed with what he said.  
"We're flying over early so there's no need for the arrangements to be sent in a message. Luke just told us that we are staying at your place for a month before heading down to Sydney and that you guys are going to show us the true Aussie country life. I just want to let you know that we don't want to do the overly touristy things but we do want to see this Big Banana that everyone raves about." Tim sounded like a dad when he spoke but Jess melted at the sound of his voice.  
Jen laughed and when asked why she just said "BASS IN MY BUTT." They heard Austin laugh in the background and Tim tell him to shut up.

They originally thought they were talking to all five members of Home Free but it was only Austin and Tim. The phone call went on for another hour as they discussed the plans for when flights arrived and departed as well as the Armidale AgQuip show that they would now all be performing at.


	2. Chapter 2

**2**

When the 25th of February finally arrived Jess, Jen and Alex left for Sydney to pick up the bus and their guests. Jess and Jen were travelling back up in the bus with the boys and Alex would take the car home. Logan was working and Jeremy had a party to go to so they would meet them all back at the restaurant later that night. They collected the bus and drove to the airport, Alex would help load things up and also pack anything else into the car and then head straight back while Jess and Jen took the boys on a bit of a sightseeing tour home.

Tim was the first one they saw; it's not hard considering he is the tallest member of Home Free. He smiled and walked over to Jess, hugged her and kissed her cheek before turning to Jen and doing the same. Austin ran over and picked Jen up, spinning her around and suddenly kissed her lips. Jess gave them a weird look and Tim shook his head before whispering to her that he'd explain later. Some people in the airport recognised them and by the time they were all off the plane there was a crowd surrounding them and begging for photos. Jen and Austin were holding hands as they walked to the baggage carousel and as they walked behind them Jess asked Tim what the heck was going on.

"Like us, they've been talking all month now. And obviously decided that they were going to 'date' while we're over here." Tim shook his head and took Jess' hand in his. She tried to hide the fact that she looked down and blushed but he noticed and let go.  
"It's fine, I just wasn't expecting it. I want you to hold my hand." she smiled and took his hand again. Tim chuckled to himself when they heard Adam and Rob whistle.

Chris was talking to Allan and Heather about the plans for the next month. Jess thought to herself that Heather would appreciate not having to organise food for the six men for the next two months. She turned slightly as they walked and saw Heather had started to relax slightly and she took that as confirmation of her thoughts. Tim noticed her expression and raised an eyebrow as he brushed a strand of hair from her face. She just shook her head, letting the hair fall back into place where it was and smiled playfully at him.  
"I was just thinking that Heather will enjoy a break, this should be a holiday for all of you. I am going to make sure that you all have fun. All ten of you." She kissed the back of his hand as they all stopped at the carousel.

Austin and Jen had already collected three of the bags. Jess let go of Tim's hand to walk over to Heather and pulled her aside to talk to her. They had arranged a party for Allan's birthday the next day and she wanted to make sure that she had ordered the right meat. She also wanted to know what Heather usually organised for them to eat. She wanted to give them the best that Australia had to offer and they were all going out for dinner that night. A little seafood place that Jen had found the week before that served fresh lobster and crab as well as oysters. Heather had been excited and said that the boys would love it. When the men had collected all the bags they loaded them into the bus and car and left for the first stop on their trip home.

The beauty of a 4am arrival meant that the boys weren't tired because they had slept on the flight and they could get to Katoomba to watch the sun rise over the mountains. Austin and Jen took a million photos of themselves as well as the group with the sunrise in the background, all of which had over 100 likes on social media. When the sun was starting to move higher in the sky they left and headed back towards the coast to their next stop. Jen had called in a favour and got them breakfast on the Hawkesbury River. While they were having breakfast, Rob asked about the different things to do in the area and Jess said that she would bring them down for the day to sightsee and tour the wineries. Austin and Jen sat as close as possible to each other all morning. Tim sat up the front of the bus with Jess and they all talked and sang on the drive to the Hunter Valley where they we stopping for lunch and to spend some time visiting the gardens.

Tim held Jess' hand as they walked through the gardens and when they came to the creek he sat down on the bridge and she put her head on his shoulder. She tried to hide the jealousy that crept through her as she thought of the video for _Summer In The Country_ and how Tim had sat in the exact same way with Jenika. He looked into her eyes and brought his lips down to meet hers. She couldn't escape the feeling that he knew what she had been thinking about. Austin and Jen walked over as Tim was about to get up and continue walking so the four of them sat talking for a while until Jen gave Jess and look that screamed 'privacy please'. She then stood up and held her hand out for Tim's and they walked around to the willows on the other side of the lake where there was a large swing. Tim waited as she sat down and then started to gently push her back and forth as they talked.

Seeing Rob, Kelsey, Adam and Erika, Tim called out and told them to come and join them in the clearing. Chris and Melissa walked over with Austin and Jen and Allan and Heather had collected the picnic things. As they all sat around eating and laughing, Austin decided that this was another perfect moment for a picture and he told everyone to bunch in close.

Jess leant against Tim and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her onto his lap and just as the flash clicked she felt his lips touch her cheek. They spent another hour sitting around talking before heading to the shops where Tim bought Jess a giant teddy bear that held a rose and a box of chocolates and Jess bought everyone lollies from the Olde English Sweet Shoppe.

When they were leaving Austin suggested he and Jen take over the driving so Tim and Jess could sit and talk with the others. Jess sat next to Tim, but both her and Heather had pulled out their books and began reading. Their next stop was Seal Rocks where they would spend the afternoon swimming and walking. Both women sat leaning against their men and reading, looking up to join in the conversation when it interested them. Tim spent that part of the trip playing with Jess' hair and turning the pages for her.

She put her book down and looked up to talk to them all "So tonight, Heather and I have a surprise for y'all. We're going to the local sailing club for a seafood smorgasbord. We have a private room upstairs so we won't be disturbed by people and we can just relax and have a meal together. When we get to our next stop there are showers so once everyone is done with swimming or hiking could they please make themselves ready for dinner as we will be going straight there."

Austin spoke from the passenger seat, "What are the arrangements for sleeping?" Jess saw Jen wink in the rear-view mirror and smiled.  
"Well, Austin, I thought you'd enjoy bunking with Tim in Jen's room, she and I will share my room. Doesn't that sound like fun?" They all laughed when Austin pulled a face. He knew she was joking and he then acted excited about giving Tim a makeover and pillow fights. "Honestly I hadn't really thought about who would be sleeping where. There are plenty of rooms and beds plus this table folds down into a double bed. We can work that out when we get back to Magunyah."

"That's really pretty. What language is that and what does it mean?" Erika asked.  
"It means My Place in Tobwabba. They're the indigenous people in our area. We named the property and all the paddocks in their language. Of course the nickname for the property has always been 'Curata Retirement Village' because when our horses finish racing they all come to live on our property." Jess smiled as she showed Erika a picture of her dappled stallion, Jetson, who had just retired from racing and was now standing at stud. Tim looked at her phone and asked if that was 'Curata Gift' and she nodded. He chuckled at the horse's pet name and Chris asked if Jess ever called him George. She smiled and told him that she did quite often.

The sun was still high when they arrived at Seal Rocks. Jen and Jess ran straight for the water, closely followed by Tim and Austin. Soon they were all in the waves, laughing and having shoulder wars. Chris was always the judge and he definitely played favourites. It soon became a war of who could get Chris on their side and when he could no longer be bribed they gave up to sit on the beach in the sun. Jen took Austin, Chris, Mel, Adam and Erika hiking and Allan, Rob, Kelsie and Heather went for a walk along the beach. Tim and Jess walked out onto the rocks holding hands all the way. When they reached the end, they stood on the flat boulder that people often used as a diving platform. Tim turned to face Jess and placed his hands on her cheeks as he lent in and kissed her again. The waves hitting the rocks sprayed them with cold water but neither broke the kiss.

The walkers had returned and were organising showers when Tim looked back to the bus and suggested they wait a while. Jess nodded and, still feeling a little flustered, reached up to kiss him again. She then bent down and picked up a starfish that had been trapped in a hole in the rock next to them when the tide had gone out. Their feet were just covered with the now high tide, so she handed the starfish to Tim so that he could put it back into the water. When most of the group had finished showering Tim started walking back over the rocks, helping Jess step between the uneven surfaces.

They reached the sand and he crouched for her to climb onto his back and he then piggybacked her over to the bus. When they had all showered and dressed, Chris climbed into the driver's seat of the bus with Mel sitting next to him. Jess told him to basically follow the road until the came to the big round-a-bout in Forster where she would then direct him to Slipway. Jess started singing _A Little Bit Of Everything_ and Austin joined her. Soon they were all singing and Tim even got up to dance causing all the girls to whoop and cheer. They continued singing until Mel told them they were at the round-a-bout. Jess got up and switched places with her to direct Chris and they were soon pulling into the carpark outside the restaurant. Alex, Logan and Jeremy were waiting outside for them and once everyone was off the bus they walked in and upstairs.


	3. Chapter 3

**3**

They arrived back at the farm full of seafood and in very high spirits. Jess knew that they all had to be tired so she got rooms set up for them and showed them around the house. They sat out on the back deck and continued to talk and laugh and drink well into the night. One by one everyone eventually crawled into bed until Jess, Jen, Tim and Austin were the only ones still awake.

"Do you guys wanna see something beautiful?" Jess asked as she stood up and put her coat on. She took Tim's hand and Jen and Austin followed close behind as she led them to the stables. With everything going on, it had been over a week since Jen had gone up to see the horses and Jess wanted to introduce her new foal to the three of them. When they walked through the huge red doors Jetson whinnied to her. She walked over and scratched his nose, giving him a handful of oats and kissing his star. Jen introduced Austin to Teddy who he'd be riding when they went out. Tim had strolled along the aisle and stopped outside Charlie's stall and leant against the door for her to smell him.  
"She'll be yours while you're here" Jess told him and she held out a bucket of oats for him to take a handful. Charlie nudged Tim impatiently as he held out his hand for her to eat. "Watch her though, she'll nibble on your fingers."

When they were acquainted with their mounts, Jess took them to the far stall where her sister's chestnut mare stood dozing and the week old foal nuzzled at her side drinking.  
Jen walked inside and scratched the mare's ear, "Hey Nikki old girl, what have you got here?" Austin's eyes lit up as he caught a glimpse of the jet black colt standing beside the big mare.  
"What are you going to call him? Is it Jetson's or Teddy's?" He asked as he leant over to pet Nikki's nose. Jen shrugged in answer to his first question and Jess answered his second, telling him Jetson was the sire.

"Austin, why don't you name him?" Jen and Jess spoke in unison.  
Austin turned to Tim and smiled. "We'll both name him but give us a few days to come up with a good one. Will he be raced?" Jen shook her head. This colt was to be her new eventer.  
"There's one more surprise for you." Jess said as she walked into the tack room and came back with four bridles. "Saddles and blankets are outside your horse's stall. Tack up and meet me outside." She walked down to Jetson's stall and opened the door. When she had tacked her own horse she went to help Tim who was nearly finished with Charlie. "She is a little touchy with the girth, you hold her while I tighten it. Hold her head or she'll nip me." Tim did what she said and they led their horses outside. Jen and Austin walked out a minute later and they all rode off up the hill, trusting their horses to see fallen logs and holes in the dark.

When Jess pulled Jetson to a halt, Tim came up beside her and looked out over the landscape drenched in moonlight. "It's beautiful. Don't you think?" She asked him and he looked back at her.  
"Yes it is. I've never seen anything more beautiful in my life." She blushed at his answer and leant over to kiss him. Jetson, as if knowing what she wanted, sidestepped and moved closer to Charlie. When Austin and Jen caught up, the four horses stood together as their riders watched the sunrise. The hues of pink and orange picked up the red in Jess' hair and the early sun made it glow around her face. Austin moved Teddy around behind her and called to her, he took a picture as she turned and showed her. The picture was beautiful, both Austin and Tim said that her hair glowing with the sun shining on half of her face made her look like an angel.

They turned to head back towards the house when the sun had come over the back hill and flooded the valley in its orange glow. Jen asked Austin to hang back and walk with her while Jess and Tim chose to race back to the stable. They untacked and Tim hosed off the horses while Jess made up the feeds ready for when Jen and Austin got back. Tim then picked her up and slung her onto his back, and just as he had the day before, he piggybacked her back down to the house. They walked inside, showered and changed as doors were starting to open and everyone moved outside where Alex had fired up the barbecue for bacon and egg breakfast.

"Did you guys even see your beds?" Adam asked as Austin and Jen walked in the gate and sat down.  
"Nope, we went for a ride to watch the sunrise over the valley at the back of the property. It's gorgeous. We should go out there tonight to watch it set, and maybe camp there the night." Austin said as he got up to walk inside for a shower. Jen followed him and left Jess and Tim to tell them more about their early morning ride. Austin had sent the photo of Jess to Tim and he showed everyone repeating his earlier statement about angels.

"Once everyone has had breakfast and is actually awake" Jess looked at Chris who yawned, "I'll take you guys up to the stables and you can meet our newest addition and I'll introduce you to the horses that, for want of a better term, will be yours for the next two months. We have a big day ahead. Cattle to move this morning and a party for the one and only Allan tonight." Jess had just finished speaking when Jen came out with coffee for everyone and Alex had finished cooking. They laughed and talked as they ate, Austin had definitely looked better but he was a good sport and walked back up to the stables to saddle Teddy again for their day of working on a real Aussie property.

With the cattle moved, they all rode back for lunch and to get ready for the party that night. They all had a blast dancing, singing, drinking and eating to celebrate Allan's birthday. Jen had made a cake that was absolutely delicious and they partied well on into the night. Jen, Austin, Tim and Jess called in earlier than the others as they were falling asleep sitting on the couches outside after their all-nighter the day before.


	4. Chapter 4

**4**

The next six weeks passed by in a blur, they were busy every day. Jess took them all up to Coffs Harbour to see the Big Banana and they spent a weekend back down in the Hunter Valley touring the wineries and camping in the gardens. They also went out west to Dubbo to the zoo and spent a few days exploring out there. They'd performed at AgQuip and done the shows in Sydney and Melbourne, plus filmed three video clips. Jess was very quickly falling in love with Tim and he with her. Jen and Austin had become Facebook official so they were obviously serious about being together. The only issue was that in just two weeks Home Free would be leaving Australia and both Jess and Jen avoided the subject whenever their own group brought it up.

Both Tim and Austin had asked the girls to come back with them but there was a lot to think about. They had responsibilities here to their horses. They knew that The Fries would most likely split with Alex and Jeremy moving away and Logan joining the army but the biggest issue was their animals. Rob actually offered the best solution and that was to wait until the colt was old enough to travel and bring them too. They would sell the farm and use the money to buy land in Nashville where Tim and Austin now lived and ship the horses over. Alex and Jeremy had promised to look after them until they were set up and ready to ship them.

Austin suddenly stood up and tapped his fork against his glass. "I have come up with a name for the colt." He looked at Tim who nodded and then continued, "Well you have Teddy, who is Theodore and Jetson, otherwise known as George. We will call the colt Kennedy. That way they are all named after great Presidents." He smiled and pat himself on the back. Jess and Jen agreed that it was an excellent name.  
"As long as you mean George Snr then I think it's brilliant, Kennedy it is." Jess kissed Austin's cheek and raced inside to get the gold nameplate for the door of Kennedy's stable. She took out the engraver from the toolbox that had been moved to the back deck and engraved the name into the plate. She then got a black permanent marker and filled in the engraving. Holding it up for everyone to see she handed it to Jen who, followed by Austin walked up to the stables to attach the nameplate.

It was decided over one meal that Jess and Jen were moving to the US and selling the farm that had been in their family for 150 years. They were sad but they knew that it was what was best for them. They organised the paperwork that afternoon while the others were soaking up the sun and playing football. Tim and Austin were going to stay for another month while they waited for the sale. They didn't have to wait long, a young couple from Sydney came to look at the property and offered $1.2 million. Three days later a man the girls had known since they were young offered $900,000 plus another $300,000 if they would leave the horses. They had two offers over a million but neither wanted to leave their horses. Later that same day an older couple came to view the place and offered $750,000. Jess wouldn't sell for less than a million because the property they all wanted was $750,000 and they then had the cost of shipping the horses.

The next week the girls accepted the first offer and had asked the buyer to wait until they could leave before moving in. The new owners said that they would provide for the horses and allow Alex and Jeremy to live there until they were shipped. They had just sold their house and the new owners needed to move in sooner. Jess then sent the money over to Tim's mother who went and bought the large ranch just outside of Nashville that they all loved. They were set to move over in just under a month. Their paperwork was cleared and they organised the shipping. The ranch had a large six-bedroom main house, stables and work yards, plus a 4-bedroom guest house. They decided that they would all live in the main house and that way when the others came to visit, the guest house was free.

Jess and Jen were in a fluster as they started packing. They still spent the days with everyone and packed at night. The day arrived when their furniture was being shipped over. Alex was taking the others back down to Sydney to catch their flight. Jen had Austin and Tim wrapping heavy items ready to be loaded in the container that had arrived the day before. The girls didn't know what they'd do without Tim and Austin loading things into the container with the removalists. They had decided to leave some furniture in the house and to sell other things. With everything packed and heading down to Sydney to be loaded onto the ship, they walked up to the stables to tack up the horses and go for a picnic dinner in the valley.

Jess couldn't help the tears that fell down her cheeks. She had grown up on this beautiful place and couldn't imagine leaving. Tim wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into his shoulders. She noticed that Jen was also crying. So many memories in this very valley and in just two weeks they were leaving it forever. They were excited to start their new life but at that very moment they both felt horrible for selling this property. Austin sat down and Jen sat next to him at the same moment Tim pulled Jess down onto his lap. They spent the night under the stars sharing memories of their lives there and imagining what their new lives would be like.

The day arrived for them to leave Magunyah and everything they ever knew. Both girls woke early and saddled their horses for one last ride around their home. Tim and Austin were waiting with breakfast when they got back and they all took one last photo together on the property. Once they'd cleaned up the last of their things they left Alex and Jeremy to care for their horses and drove out the gate for the last time.

The flight seemed to take forever and Jess was woken by Tim gently kissing her forehead when they finally landed in Dallas. Tim's mother Dena was waiting for them and once they collected their bags they left for Tim's childhood home. Their container would arrive in a week and they would be staying with Tim's parents for the next four days. Five hours later they pulled onto a beautifully lush property and Jess was awestruck by how green everything was. She took Tim's hand, squeezed it tightly and smiled before kissing him softly.

Tim and Austin unloaded their suitcases and they all went inside. They would be sleeping in the guest house and Dena had baked cookies for them to have after lunch. Jess wasn't really hungry, she was slightly homesick and a little jetlagged but she sat with her sister, Austin and Tim's family while they ate and got to know them a little better. After lunch she excused herself to go and freshen up, she used the time to call Alex and check on the horses and let herself cry for a moment. There was a gentle knock on the door of the room her and Tim were sharing and he called quietly to her.

"Come in, I'm decent, just taking a moment to gather myself." She said as he opened the door and walked into the room. He didn't stop until she was in his arms.  
"I know it's a lot to take in. Take your time, we have plenty of it. By the way my mother adores you. She asked me when I was going to ask you." He chuckled and kissing her deeply, he picked her up and lay her gently on the bed. He then lay next to her and pulled her close to him. She shivered as his hands moved under her shirt to trace her back and he kissed her again, this time with more passion than she had ever felt before. Tim stayed with her all afternoon talking to her and kissing her softly. They made love that night and afterwards, Jess lay in Tim's arms as he sang softly to her, stroking her hair until she fell asleep.

The next morning, Jen knocked on the door and told them that Dena had made breakfast for them and gone into town. She and Austin were going down to the creek to swim, and she asked if they wanted to come along and they agreed. After breakfast Tim and Austin went to fetch the 4wheelers and they rode down to the creek with a packed lunch. The water was the perfect temperature and they spent the day swimming, relaxing in the shade and yahooing on the rope swing. Jen felt completely free as she swang out into the air before flipping off the rope and bombing into the water.

When the sun started to set, they left and rode back to the house where Dena had a baked dinner waiting for them. They all sat outside in the crisp evening eating and laughing and playing games. When Dena went to bed Tim went over to the guest house to get blankets and Austin went inside to get marshmallows and the four of them sat around the fire pit talking and stargazing while eating smores. It was the perfect end to a perfect day. Jess woke up in her bed the next morning, without knowing how she got there.

"You were out like a light and Tim carried you in." Austin sat on the end of the bed. "He's making breakfast for you. Dena wanted me to talk to you about Tim. As you know, Jenika really did a number on him when she left him for someone else. He was really cut up for a while there, I almost thought he'd given up on love. But he loves you Jess, he really does. Dena likes you too, she wants to know how you truly feel about him. None of us want either of you hurt." He smiled at her and she knew he really meant it.  
"Austin, I am falling in love with Tim. I would never dream of hurting him. I have never felt like this about anyone in my life, ever. He makes me happy, and if you ask Jen she'll tell you that the last guy that hurt me did a good job of it, physically and emotionally. I wasn't sure I was ready for another serious relationship but I now couldn't picture anything than what is." She sat up and took his hand, holding it in both of hers. "I wanted to talk to Dena and get to know her more personally, I was actually going to ask her if we could go for coffee and talk somewhere this morning. I hope she does like me because I think she is an amazing woman, she is strong and independent and has raised Tim to be a gentleman and I am so lucky to have been able to feel this way and be loved like I am."

Dena had agreed to go into town with Jess and they arrived at her favourite cafe just as lunch was starting. They ordered their meals and drinks and Dena started asking questions. Jess felt a little uncomfortable with some questions but that was only because they made her think about her ex. She told Dena about her school activities and her hobbies, her jobs and the places she'd travelled to. Dena smiled when she told her about the name Tim and Austin had given their new colt.

Jess relaxed more as the conversation continued and they lost track of time. They were there until just before the dinner service started and Dena panicked a little that she wasn't home to have cooked for everyone. Jess shook her head and pulled her phone out, she called Tim and asked him to come into town with Austin and Jen. When they got there the five of them ordered dinner and they spent the night talking and laughing once again.

The next day they were setting off for Nashville and their new house. Jess and Jen spent the morning talking to Dena while the boys cut more firewood for her. Once they had finished and cleaned up after lunch Jess climbed into Tim's truck and Jen got into the SUV that Austin had just bought and the four of them set off for their new lives.


	5. Chapter 5

**5**

Their first night was spent at Tim's aunt's place in Houston and the four of them went to bed early and were up again early, hitting the road and heading to Tulsa where Troy and Ellie, who owned FifGen, lived. They went out for a night on the town and both Jess and Jen danced and sang all night. When the band finished they went back and sat up talking to Ellie for a while before heading to bed. When they got up in the morning, Ellie had packed them food and Jess a birthday present. Her birthday was three days away but they wouldn't be able to make it for the party. Tim and Austin had obviously called to ask them to come. Jess felt horrible that she couldn't stay longer to thank Ellie so she wrote a note thanking both her and Troy for everything and that they would have to plan a trip back over to spend more time with them.

Late that evening they arrived at their new house and Jess was struck by how beautiful it really was. She had fallen in love with the pictures but the real thing was so much better. When they got out of the car she walked over to Jen and they shared excited squeaks and whispers. They were finally starting their new lives and they couldn't wait to settle in. The container would arrive the next day and then the real fun would begin. Tim and Austin had cancelled the lease on their house in town and they would be picking up their stuff in the morning so with another long day ahead of them, they set up their sleeping bags and all went to bed early.

While the boys packed their place up the next morning, Jess and Jen went shopping for paint and curtains. They were redecorating before they moved their furniture in and they wanted everything to be perfect. The four of them had chosen a neutral colour scheme and they would add colour with curtains and rugs. Once they had everything they needed the went to meet the boys at the diner for brunch and then went home. When they arrived the container was sitting out the front waiting for them. They knew they had a week to have it unpacked before the truck came to pick it up. Inside they got straight to work painting, Tim and Austin were painting downstairs while Jess and Jen worked upstairs. It took them two days but they were happy with their work. With the curtains and rugs laid out they started with the furniture. Jess and Tim were taking the master upstairs while Jen and Austin took the second master downstairs. Once their bedrooms were done they relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and had an early night. The lounge and dining rooms would be done the next day and while Jess, Tim and Austin set up the guest house, Jen would unpack the kitchen boxes.

The truck came that afternoon and just as they finished setting up the guest house the first car arrived for Jess' party. Rob, Kelsie and their beautiful Labrador Penny Lane got out and Kelsie gushed at how beautiful the houses were. Chris, Adam, Erika and Melissa all arrived together and Adam carried a large box with pink and green ribbons all over it. Jess shook her head as she took the box and was shocked at how heavy it was.

"You have to open that one now, it can't wait I'm afraid." Erika smiled and told her as Adam winked. She opened the box and screamed causing Tim to come flying around the front and Penny Lane to bark loudly as she chased him.

The Merimah puppy looked up at her and tilted his head as his tongue fell out the side of his mouth. He was the cutest thing she'd ever seen.  
"Oh my god guys, you got me a puppy?" she squealed and hugged Adam and Erika tightly. Chris handed her another box and Rob opened his car boot. The box from Chris contained a collar, lead and bowl. Rob pulled a bed and food out of his car. Jen and Austin blindfolded her as they walked her around the back yard. Jen took the blindfold off to reveal a doghouse and box of toys. Tim brought out a large box as well as the present from Troy and Ellie. Their present was an invoice with lifetime registration paid and the prepaid vet appointments for the next vaccinations. Tim's present had two parts, one was a smaller box with a key inside and the other was a new saddle for when Jetson arrived. Jess wondered what the key was for and when she asked he told her she had to be patient. She would find out when the time was right.

The party lasted the full weekend and Jess had chosen to name her puppy Satchmo. She finally had just about everything she could ever want. The only thing missing at that point was her beloved stallion Jetson and her mischievous mare Charlie. Alex rang Monday morning to wish her a happy birthday and to let her know that Kennedy had been cleared for travel and that he and Jeremy were taking the horses down to Sydney that afternoon. She and Jen would have their horses in three short weeks and they set themselves to preparing the stables and ordering feed ready for their arrival.

The next three months flew by, and they had finally finished unpacking boxes and setting up their house. Rob and Kelsie had come to visit and stayed until the horses arrived. After helped settle the excited horses in, they left to go and see Kelsie's parents. They had wonderful news not long after, both Kelsie and Erika were expecting babies. Austin and Jen had got engaged and were busy planning a spring wedding while Tim and Jess worked with Kennedy. Satchmo had settled in and was a bonafied horse dog. He'd grown so much in just three months that Jess laughed and told people he was part horse.

On the first day of spring Jess was riding when Tim rode out to meet her and down by the creek he got down on one knee and asked her make him the happiest man alive and marry him. She practically jumped on him and told him she would. They were married three weeks after Jen and Austin, down by the creek in the shade of the willow tree under which Tim had proposed. The four of them went to Hawaii for their honeymoon and spent the two weeks soaking up the sun, surf and culture.

When they returned, Chris, Rob and Adam were there waiting to welcome the newlyweds home. Kelsie and Erika were both extremely pregnant by then and Home Free had arranged for the first shows of their Spring tour to be in Tennessee and Alabama so that the two women could be in one spot and have family around them to have their babies. They really were one big happy family and Jess and Jen had never felt happier. Kelsie gave birth between shows in Alabama and Nashville and Erika had given birth the day before the Nashville show.

At their Nashville show Jess and Jen were standing backstage when Tim started Story Time. He told of how Erika and Kelsie had brought two new Fries into the world. Erika had a daughter named Georgina and Kelsie a son who she named Joshua. He then went on to invite Jess out on stage and for the first time ever he got the group to sing during his Story Time. They sang _Mom_ and Tim placed his hand on Jess's stomach as Chris sang about an angel waiting to meet her little baby. The crowd erupted in cheers and they all stopped singing suddenly. Rob clapped and congratulated both Jess and Tim.

Austin laughed and when the others looked at him he asked Jen to come out too and said "They really are sisters. They do everything together. Jen's pregnant too." That caused everyone to laugh and Tim hugged Jen. Chris then spoke, "This must be a thing right now because Mel is pregnant as well. There's something in the water in Nashville." Jess told him that she'd fallen pregnant on her honeymoon so that was Hawaii. The three women were due within a month of each other and once Kelsie and Erika had joined them onstage the boys restarted _Mom_ and sang to their wives.

Later that year Home free were performing in Mankato when Tim once again sang during Story Time. Jess was due any day now and Jen the following week. Melissa had given birth two weeks beforehand, there was another little Rupp boy running around. Jess had joked about God having to help them all. Mel and Chris named him Logan in memory of Jess and Jen's friend and former group member who had been killed in active service the week before their son was born. When Tim sang _Mom_ again he put extra emphasis on the last line. He was getting impatient and couldn't wait to meet his son. Jess laughed backstage when she heard his tone.

Later that night they were singing _Ring Of Fire_ and when Tim sang the last note of the song Jess felt her water break. She'd been having contractions all night but knew that they were too far apart to go to hospital yet so she waited, thinking that she could just go in after the show. Jen sent Austin a text and he said "Finally! Tim your son is well and truly on his way." The audience cheered and clapped while Tim walked offstage to see Jess. She told him to continue the show and they could go into hospital after, the contractions were still 15 minutes apart. If anything happened Jen would call an ambulance.

He tried to talk her into going to the hospital then but knew that when she'd made a decision there was no point trying to change her mind. He conceded and went back out onstage to finish the show. Six hours later Timothy Marcus Foust was cleaned and nursing. Dena had arrived late in the night and now sat helping Jess adjust him into the right position. The smile hadn't left Jess' face the whole time, though she was exhausted. Tim had cried like a baby the second he saw his son and he kissed Jess passionately when he handed Junior to her.

Three days later Jess was ready to leave hospital and they all travelled to Minneapolis for their next show. Dena went back to Nashville to get things set up for her grandson and help out when they got home in two weeks. At the show that night Tim introduced his son to the Fries, the amount of pictures taken that night was astounding and Jess could only imagine how many would be posted to social media. A feeling of Deja vu hit her as they sang _Ring Of Fire_ and Jen went into labour.

She ran out on stage and shouted "The Hoover Dam has sprung a leak!" Chris turned to Tim and just said "Dude! you have got to raise everything up an octave. That's twice in one week that you've sent someone into labour." They all laughed. Luckily _Ring Of Fire_ was the last song at this show so Austin and Jen could go straight to the hospital. The next day Jess went to the hospital to meet her niece, Sophia Grace Brown. She was beautiful and looked so much like Austin that Jess couldn't help but smile. "At least you don't have mummy's nose. She can use the money for your college instead of a nose job." Jen smiled and fake slapped her sister.

Two weeks later Home Free were set to be on The Tonight Show and they had asked Kenny Rogers to be there and sing the song they'd collaborated on. They sang _Children, Go Where I Send Thee_ and during the last chorus Mel, Erika, Kelsie, Jess and Jen walked out carrying the newest members of the Home Free family. Jimmy Fallon was very interested to know what was in the water in Nashville as all children were born in the same year. They stayed afterwards to hang out with the fans that had come to see them and everyone gushed over the little Fries, including Kenny. Tim asked if it would be possible to get a photo of Kenny with all the children as a promo for the song.

He agreed and held Tim Jnr as the other children were held by their fathers. They then took a photo of just Kenny and the kids. Georgie and Joshua sat on the ground on either side of him and he held Sophia and Tim Jnr with Logan resting on his lap.

They all arrived back in Nashville to spend the next two months relaxing and spending time together. Tim and Austin had suggested they all just live together on the property and the others agreed it would be easier. That way their wives weren't separated by the country and they were all there to support each other while they were on tour. They'd all moved in and were now truly living as a big happy family. Dena had been a massive help for Jess and Jen in their first months of motherhood and she had only returned to Texas when she was satisfied that both women were adjusted and coping well.

A month later, and with everything progressing nicely, the boys went on their fall tour, leaving their women at home to care for babies and help each other out. Tim, Rob and Austin had designed another three-bedroom house for Rob and Kelsie to live in so that Adam and Chris had rooms for their children. The builders arrived a week after the guys left for Alaska and by the time they returned, there would be three houses on the big beautiful property. The girls had started teaching their kids to swim down in the creek and Josh and Georgina had been fishing for the first time. They couldn't wait for their husbands to be home, they got lonely during the months they were away. Tim and Austin skyped with Jess and Jen every night and they were amazed at how much their babies were changing in such a short time.

One October evening the phone rang while the girls were sitting outside around the fire pit. Jess raced inside to answer it before it woke Sophia and Tim Jnr up. Ellie spoke quietly, worried at first that Jess had just pressed the speaker button.  
"It's ok Ell. The kids are asleep and I'm on the cordless. What's up chicka? How are you and Troy? The boys are still away." Jess said as she sat down on the couch and threw a blanket over her. She pulled it close to her face and inhaled deeply. It smelt of Tim's aftershave and she felt the sudden ache of loneliness. She desperately wanted him to come home. Ellie asked if they could come and visit when the guys were home from their tour. They had some exciting news regarding a brand new tour. Luke had called them and they wanted to see the family to give everyone the news. Jess was excited to see them again and told them to come whenever they wanted. There was always room for family at the Home Free ranch. Once she got off the phone, Jess went back outside to tell the other girls about the phone call. They were all curious as to what this brilliantly exciting news was and they spent the next few hours coming up with ideas that seemed more and more farfetched with every suggestion. Jen thought that perhaps they had finally scored a tour 'across the pond' as Austin had wished for numerous times and Jess actually agreed with her. They had been trying to organise a tour of the UK for nearly a year now.


	6. Chapter 6

**6**

Three weeks later first snows came and Jess woke up with Tim's arms around her. He had come in late the night before and was snoring lightly in her ear. It was also the first night since Tim had left that Junior slept right through the night. Jess snuggled into his chest and sighed contentedly as he kissed the back of her neck and whispered in her ear. "Morning my love, you looked like an angel and I didn't want to wake you up. I'm sorry."  
She smiled and rolled over, "Don't be sorry. You must be tired; I'll leave you to sleep. Junior will be up soon anyway so I'll take him out to change him and feed. Sleep, I will come and get you in a couple of hours." She kissed him and rolled back over.

As she stood up, Junior stirred in his cot so she picked him up and carried him out to the lounge room. Jen was sitting on one couch feeding Sophia and Jess sat down on the other to change Junior and then feed him. When Jess felt a hand on her shoulder she jumped slightly and turned to face Erika who then held the phone to her ear as she mouthed 'Ellie'.

"Hey beautiful lady." Ellie called into the phone. "I heard the boys got home last night, did Tim take Junior this morning?" she laughed at her rhetorical question. Tim and Austin were still off with the fairies. "I just wanted to see if it was still ok for Troy and I to visit. Mum's watching Jordan for us so we were thinking we could come for a week or so." She paused to take a breath and Jess told her that was perfectly fine. "So we'll plan to be there on Wednesday next week. We should have a party to celebrate the news. I'll organise things." Ellie never surprised Jess, she was always coming up with harebrained ideas and a party was always the first thing she planned.

Tim came out then and asked what the girls wanted for breakfast. They all laughed and when he questioned them, Jen put Sophia in her bouncer and took Tim to the window. Chris was outside cooking in his boxers and Adam was trying to dress Georgie who just wanted to play with Penny and Satch. Josh sat in his chair and threw food at Rob who was trying desperately to feed him. The men were failing and their wives were reduced to tears and rolling on the floor laughing hysterically.

Austin opened his door and walked out into the lounge room. He was half dressed with his hair in a mop like mess around his face and his eyes puffy and red.  
"Who's burning food?" he asked as he joined the group watching the scene outside unfold. "I should have known. Chris can't cook to save himself. Where's my little angel?" He turned and scooped Sophia up, swinging her in a circle and kissing all over her face. She laughed and grabbed hold of his hair pulling hard and smacking his nose with her closed fist. He winced and handed her to Jen as his eyes welled up.

"Man she has a good little punch. I was not expecting to be beaten up by my eight month old daughter." Jen smiled at him and kissed the tip of his nose as Sophia grabbed more hair and pulled even harder.

"She tends to beat us all up, she also loves long hair. Make sure your hair is up if you ever go near her." Jess told him as she kissed her niece's rosy cheeks. Tim had picked Junior up and was walking around trying to stop him screaming. "You need to burp him; he'd only just finished feeding when you came out. He likes to sit for a bit before burping." Once he'd burped, Junior was chatting away and reaching to give his daddy kisses every two steps Tim took. Jess smiled and in that moment she had never been happier. The scene outside was just ramping up and she laughed at how their husbands had a lot of catching up to do with parenting lessons.

She looked at Jen and winked, they'd all joked that it was their turn to go on a holiday and let the men raise the kids for the next four months. She shuddered at the image of her child being raised by these five men. Chris couldn't cook, Austin normally slept until three in the afternoon, Rob was still trying to feed Joshua who was now kicking and screaming, Adam and Tim were the only ones to have succeeded in their tasks but Georgie's clothes were inside out and Junior had vomit all down his front.

Yes, they were a dysfunctional family but they got by. The boys got better every time they did anything for their kids. The girls chose to relax and teach their husbands just how demanding parenthood was. When Ellie and Troy arrived; Jess, Jen, Erika, Mel and Kelsie had their houses running like marine bases. Their children were fed, washed and dressed by seven in the morning and the same at night. They barely did anything with their children except play and have fun. Jess and Jen still fed Junior and Sophia as both were still being breastfed as well as bottles. They also made meals for their husbands who were tired and drained by the end of the day.

Luke arrived not long after Troy and Ellie, he was accompanied by a petite blonde woman who looked completely out of place on the Home Free ranch. She wore white leather pants and a cream knit top with suede peep toe boots. They all stood around the corner, peering through the class walls on either side. Jen laughed when she saw the woman walking behind Luke, scowling slightly and complaining about the dirt. The only place you'd be able to tell was dirty were her clothes. Her fake tan was almost as red as the beautiful earth in Tennessee. Satchmo and Penny Lane raced around the corner to greet Luke who allowed the two large dogs to jump all over him. When they tried to jump on the woman, she screamed at him, telling him to get the filthy animals off her. Jess and Tim chose that moment to walk around the corner.

"Hey Big Momma." Luke raced over to hug Jess and then, after shaking Tim's hand, he scooped up Junior and kissed his cheek. "How's my little monster been?" Luke continued to walk around the corner to greet everyone else, leaving the woman to fend off the dogs and follow him. Austin suggested that the men all get the fire and BBQ going ready for dinner while their wives fed and put their children to bed.

Mel picked up Logan and Georgie while Erika raced inside to fill the bathtub. Jen handed Sophia to Jess who took both her son and her niece inside and put them in their playpen. Kelsie put Joshua into the pen while she went out to help Rob feed Penny Lane. Austin and Tim had walked up and fed the horses and Ellie was fighting with Luke over who got to feed Satchmo. Troy and Chris were trying to light the fire while Adam started cooking their dinner.

While they waited for their wives to finish caring for the children the men sat outside and talked about business and the upcoming tour. They were finally going to Europe and Austin was elated. Tim nudged Luke and after looking at the other members of Home Free asked, "Where on earth did you find that one Lukey?" They all nodded in agreement.  
"She works in the office, she latched onto me like a damn leech and I can't get rid of her. I mean she is a stunner but she's way off being my type. You know my perfect woman is Jess' doppelganger." Tim fake slapped Luke's arm at that comment. Jess was exactly Tim's type and they all knew she wasn't going anywhere.

"She is beautiful though. You can't fault him for feeling as though she'd be his type." Troy added as Jess walked past the window, carrying her son with a smile that used to be reserved for Tim. her eyes creased at the side and she had dimples on both cheeks, Tim felt his heart skip a beat as he watched his wife dance with their son. She turned to face them at that moment and blushed when she noticed they were all staring at her. Her eyes naturally searched for those of her husband as she smiled at him before walking away and putting Junior into his cot.

Once the salads were made and the children were tucked into bed, the girls joined their husbands outside. Luke formally introduced the woman who had accompanied him as Kristy. She was a secretary in his office building and she was a part time model. Jen laughed again and sat down on Austin's lap. Jess was sitting next to Tim and he held her close as she put her head on his chest. She inhaled deeply as she revelled in the smell of his cologne, he had been home for nearly two months but she was still soaking everything in. The boys would be leaving again in just three short weeks. The start of their spring tour and Christmas tour was approaching quickly and Jess used every opportunity to spend time as close to Tim as humanly possible. She was five weeks pregnant and no one knew yet. She would once again give birth while her husband was on tour.

The next three weeks flew by in a blur. Austin had found out that Jess was pregnant and called Dena. Jess and Tim had told her but asked her to keep it quiet until they were ready to tell the others. Tim was stewing over the idea that they should take a break from touring, but Jess convinced him that the European tour was more important, she would still be able to travel when they left and she would come with him, that was the compromise they came to. They decided it was time to tell their family the good news as Jess was starting to show symptoms of her second pregnancy. The whole family were thrilled and excited about having another little Foust running around the farm.

Luke was overjoyed but Tim noticed the bittersweet look on his face. He knew that Luke was thrilled that his friends were having another baby but also understood that he desperately wanted to find his 'Jess'.  
Kristy was a little disgusted that Jess was ruining her body, "One baby does enough damage to your body, forget about a second, you won't be pretty anymore. You'll be fatter and you'll always be worn out. And be realistic, your looks are about the only thing you have going for you. You could do so much better. You're like a 9 and he's like a 5," she looked at Tim and scrunched her face.  
"How dare you talk about them like that! Tim's a thousand times better looking than you and he is talented, He loves her and she loves him." Jen defended her sister and brother-in-law  
"Jess will always be the most beautiful thing on this planet and she has the voice of an angel, she makes you cry every time she sings." Luke was glaring at Kristy at that point and Jess smirked and shrugged when she turned to her and scowled.  
"You just don't fit in here Kristy; I think it's best you go back to California. Like tomorrow." Adam had been desperate to tell the stuck up princess to leave for the last two weeks. Tim and Jess being attacked like that was the final straw for him and he let the woman know exactly how he felt about her and the way she had been treating everyone, especially seeing as she was a guest in THEIR home. Tim put one hand on Jess' tummy and the other on her cheek as he kissed her passionately to drive home the fact that he didn't care about Miss Fake Tan's opinion. That was Austin's name for the evil woman. Neither he, Jen, Chris or Melissa called her anything else.

Kristy stood up and huffed inside. Jess had to follow her to make sure she didn't disturb the five sleeping children. They were curled up in balls in the lounge room having their afternoon nap. Penny and Satch lay on the top of the steps down into the lounge room, one on either side of the room. Both dogs growled and stood up as Kristy walked past and Jess was instantly wary about returning outside until she knew the other woman was outside as well.

She called Tim and Austin into the kitchen and told them what had just happened, both men agreed with her and they all picked up the children and put them into the porta-cots in the studio. Satch and Penny moved to sit outside the door and only when she was certain her son was well protected, she returned outside. Kristy followed close behind them with her suitcase packed and informed everyone that she was staying in town that night and leaving for LA the next morning.

Tim and Adam were thrilled but no one more so than Luke as Jess turned to look at him he was smiling and it looked like this was the best day of his life. When Kristy got into the car she and Luke had arrived in, Jess smiled and turned to her family, "Well now that the trash is gone, who wants to start the fire? I'll go in and get the potatoes and the meat and we'll have an early dinner so that we can actually have some fun tonight."

Adam, who was always in charge of the BBQ went over and started preparing it while Troy and Tim lit the fire. Chris, Mel, Rob and Elli went to get more wood for the fire. Erika, Jen, Jess and Kelsie went inside to get everything ready. Marshmallow and chocolate with biscuits and the meat and veggies for dinner. Jess and Jen then prepared dinner for the children while Erika and Kelsie took platters outside to the table.

The children wouldn't be awake for another hour but if their dinner was ready and simply needed to be heated then it would take less time to have them bathed and ready for bed. Joshua and Georgina were starting to be able feed themselves while Logan, Sophia and Junior were still learning the art of using a spoon. While Jess set up the highchairs and plates, Jen went into the spare room to get clothes for after bath time. It really came in handy to have a few items of clothing for each child in the big house because the children spent most of their time there.


End file.
